Court upholds ban on iCloud push email in Germany

Earlier this year, a German court slapped Apple with an injunction, forcing the company to disable iCloud’s push email service in the country. The move was the direct result of a Motorola lawsuit, who claimed Apple was using its patented technology in the feature.

Well things got worse today for the iPad-makers. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a German regional court has upheld the previous decision of the ban on Apple’s iCloud service, essentially granting Motorola a victory in the ongoing patent war…

“The Mannheim regional court backed an earlier decision that banned Apple from offering the service for synchronizing emails on devices in a patent proceeding brought by Motorola Mobility. The court said Apple must pay damages to Motorola Mobility, but didn’t specify the amount.”

Of course, Apple could always appeal this decision. But the fact that two judges have already agreed on the same ruling doesn’t bode well for that option. I guess Tim Cook needs to get his wallet out.

Update: Apple has given a statement to AllThingsD regarding today’s ruling:

“This is the same case Motorola already brought against another Apple entity and the court’s decision does not impact product availability. Our customers in Germany should have no problem finding the iPad or iPhone they want. However, we disagree with the court’s decision and plan to appeal the ruling.”